Overview
- In a new analysis, Open The Books reports the Defense Department obligated $93.4 billion in September 2025, including $50.1 billion in the final five working days.
- Itemized purchases included about $6.9 million in lobster tail, $15.1 million in ribeye steak and $2 million in Alaskan king crab, alongside $225.6 million for furniture and a $98,329 Steinway grand piano.
- Democratic critics such as Chuck Schumer and Melanie Stansbury condemned the spending and signaled investigations, with social media posts amplifying outrage over food and luxury items.
- Defenders, including veterans and conservative commentators, argue the surf‑and‑turf meals are a longstanding morale tradition for deployed troops, noting similar September 2024 spending patterns under Lloyd Austin.
- The surge is linked by analysts to ‘use‑it‑or‑lose‑it’ budget dynamics at the fiscal year’s close, and recent coverage notes no comprehensive Pentagon accounting has yet been publicly released.